Kaizer did not rush home despite the attack he had just suffered, or it should rather be said that he was uncertain about going home right now. Trouble seemed to be really clinging to him, especially after his awakening from battling Carla and killing her.
The young man was currently seated in an expensive lounge and restaurant that served the upper class. Since he was wearing his suit and his name was the most recognizable in their city at the moment, he was easily given passage to the VIP room. However, he also had to show a fraction of his current financial ability for verification purposes.
Can't let just any loser sit here; it would tarnish the exclusivity of the place and make the rich clientele feel dirtied.
Kaizer was currently sipping on a glass of expensive champagne lightly, not even having the mind to taste the liquid entering his mouth as his mind wandered once more.
Was this really the price of transcendent power?
Kaizer asked himself this critical question as he swirled his drink, his telesthesia scanning all the minds in the lounge for anyone suspicious. After the repeated attacks, the young man had developed a bit of paranoia and insecurity, feeling guarded against everyone and everything.
He felt like he was in the scope of a sniper at all times, with the red dot showing on his chest while he found ways to hide himself from the sniper's line of sight. This kind of fear, not knowing when the sniper would shoot and end his life, was extremely torturous.
If he didn't have his psychic power, Kaizer was sure he would not be in a good mental state right now. At least, 90% of his current confidence in dealing with the situation came from his power, while the final 10% came from his wealth and the resources it made available to him.
To be honest… Kaizer was also feeling a little pathetic at the moment.
As an avid consumer of fiction, he was always particular about what he consumed and always preferred main characters who took the initiative compared to those who sat around waiting for things to happen to them. Nothing got his blood pumping more than when a villain revealed his evil plot and things looked dire, only for the main character to smile and reveal his awesome counter to the evil scheme.
In those stories, the main character seemed to know everything, able to tell a wealth of information just from body language, and smiled, knowing who was going to betray him and how.
Yet he, with literal psychic and mind-reading powers, could not even handle a bunch of low-level fodder.
Kaizer really appreciated the terror a lack of information could create. He knew little to nothing about his foes, their aspirations, their location, and their methods, which left him completely open to their machinations.
He hesitated, wondering if he should go home. He was able to train in peace at home for two days while there and only got accosted when he came out today to pay his respects for the deceased. Was his fear of implicating his family unwarranted?
Was he rather even more safe and untouchable within the Lunin mansion?
Kaizer craved an environment that would allow him to train his power even more because he was still in the period of rapid growth, where every single day's work led to huge increases in ability. The him now and the him just three days later if he had uninterrupted time to train were two different powerhouses altogether, and this might give him leverage.
But what if?
What if he was wrong and he went home, allowing his enemies, who were focused on taking him down, to put his family in the crosshairs as well? Their attacks were always grandiose and often included innocents in the mix, from the campus attack to the recent highway explosion.
If anyone close to him was harmed because he went home… Kaizer was not sure what he would do, but the thought alone made his heart clench.
Kaizer ended up downing his drink in a daze, smacking his lips. He had never actually liked alcohol and avoided it, but today he simply wanted to rely on its fabled ability to intoxicate and prevent one from thinking about their various problems.
However, while the alcohol entered his bloodstream and affected his body, it did nothing to the clarity of his mind. In terms of becoming inebriated and drunk, Kaizer might as well be drinking soda because it was achieving about the same effect.
Kaizer's eyes were unfocused as he stared at his empty glass, his thoughts wandering even farther to critical situations that could emerge in the next few days due to everything that happened so far.
In the depths of his worries, his phone startled him to sobriety when he felt it vibrating in his pocket. Taking it out, he saw that he was receiving a call from his father, and with a bellyful of worry, Kaizer immediately answered it.
"Kaizer, are you alright? I received a notification from the tracker that your car is completely off the map. Coupled with the news of the explosion on the highway an hour ago, I realized that the target of the attack might be you," Keith immediately asked.
"You're right, dad, but I'm fine. With my abilities, I was able to escape completely unscathed and even protect those around me from harm. You don't have to worry." Kaizer reassured his dad, finding that the stone in his heart had sunk significantly upon hearing his father's voice.
"That's good. No matter where you are, come home immediately. I will do everything I can to protect you and make sure you are safely able to achieve your peak performance. You can trust me on that," Keith sighed with relief and instructed immediately.
However, Kaizer hesitated greatly, and his silence seemed to clue Keith into something.
"Worried, huh? You know, the day your mom gave birth to you, I felt extremely fearful when I held you in my hands, worried that even the wind could cause your harm. Your mother laughs at me for it now, but back then I was unable to leave you alone for even a second, fearing that my son would be harmed in the slightest."
Keith spoke casually, with a hint of amusement. "I can guess you are feeling this way, having been dragged into attacks back-to-back, but let me tell you something, son. You are extremely special, in more ways than one. Not counting your newly awakened abilities, you have always had the necessary qualities to overcome and excel. Do not let these setbacks drag you down, and believe that with us supporting you, you will reach the peak!"
Keith's tone was filled with encouragement by the end, and Kaizer could envision his father patting him on the shoulder, wearing his smile that seemed sunny and optimistic despite the difficulties he faced day to day.
Thinking about the troubles his own father must have gone through all these years after devising revolutionary technology that every tech guru and broker wanted a piece of, Kaizer suddenly felt like his father's back was the broadest shield that stood before him.
In the end, all he replied with was 'okay, dad,' as he hung up the phone and left the lounge, a smile on his face that Kaizer himself did not notice.